Prep Work
by Catwings1026
Summary: Just because you're the best at what you do doesn't mean you can let yourself get sloppy. Natasha preps herself for a solo interrogation of Loki.


**Disclaimer**: _Avengers, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Natasha Romanoff, Clint Barton,_ and all affiliated places and characters are the sole property of Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Not mine, not mine, not mine, and I'm not pretending they are.

**Continuity: **_Avengers _(2012)_, _Marvel Cinematic Universe

**Author's Note: **I was totally absorbed by the scene in the movie where Black Widow turns up to interrogate Loki solo. It took me two viewings to realize – she had every nuance, every word, planned out to the last syllable. She didn't "break" when Loki threatened to turn Hawkeye against her... the way she snapped out of it instantly, the second he mentioned something she could use, verified that. (Of course, she had no idea that Loki was manipulating ALL of them, playing their fears against one another, from the second he set foot on the helicarrier... but that's for another story.) At any rate, I imagined that Natasha would need to prep for her assault on Loki – get her head in the game, get herself ready for it. So, for this fic, I picture her staring herself in the mirror... getting that game face on, getting ready to do what she does best. Constructive criticism gladly accepted.

* * *

Target: Loki. Purported God of Evil. Asgardian. Not from around here.

Duh, Tasha. Focus. Run down the facts.

Known strengths: power staff, now ours. Mind control, via tesseract. Body armor. Ability to duplicate himself... or at least, project multiple image of himself.

Smart... or, say, cunning. Manipulative. That's his tool, his primary weapon. He's a puppet master. Knows how to play the left hand against the right.

Known weaknesses. Other than being a resident of the Presidential Hulk Suite? None that we can see. If Thor knows any, he's not saying.

Damn. This is not a lot to go on. I need to know what his plan is. He's been quiet... TOO quiet. Like he's waiting for something. Watching for something. What does he think he's got coming?

That's my job to find out, Fury says. Thanks so much, boss.

Focus, Tasha. You get one go at this guy. One.

What do we know about him? Facts, stats, anything.

He's a killer. No empathy, no remorse. Cold-blooded. Killed 80 people in three days, would have snuffed an entire square of civilians and not batted an eyelash.

So appealing to his better nature is pretty much... out.

He's jonesing to take over the world. Why? Who the hell knows. But he wants it. Wants it bad. And... he thinks he's gonna get it. He may be locked up, but from all appearances, you'd think he's got us right where he wants us...

He's holding something back. Counting on something... the cavalry, a rescue. But _what? _

Gotta be something we can use.

Think, woman, think.

Banner says Loki's brain is a bag of cats. Thor said that his mind works in weird and twisted ways.

Thor.

Okay, this we can do. If we can't get inside Loki's head... who's the next best thing?

Big brother.

So. What do we know about Thor?

He's big. He's strong. Immortal? Unknown. What else? Well... he's got an ego the size of a semi. It's cloaked, but it's there. An ego...

Yes. Loki DEFINITELY has an ego.

Think about how he acted when he showed up... swaggering. Arrogant. Outnumbered, outgunned, and he still manages to take the place down around our ears. Walks off with our best scientist... and our best agent.

_Dammit, Clint..._

Focus.

In Germany, he plays the bait... and gets off on doing the whole "bow down to me" routine. Superiority complex? Just a bit...

So he's got an ego. So... how can we use that against him? No. How can we use it to benefit _us_?

And it's not just ego. He believes that humans are... flawed. Inferior. Weak. What was it he said? Begging to be ruled, or something like that?

_That's IT._

I've got to let him be the puppet master... or at least, get him to think he is.

Which means I've got to be the puppet.

I can do puppet.

He'll be expecting Fury. A show of force... maybe with big brother Thor as backup. Torture, maybe... he thinks we're primitive barbarians, so... why not? And he'll think that, after the boys pound on him for a bit, they'll send in the good cop.

But what if I go it behind Fury's back? He can't be expecting anything short of a platoon... it took a god and two heroes to put him in that cell. I go in, alone, and he'll think... what?

That I've got to be out of my mind.

Only he knows that only the best have made it this far in SHEILD... and chances are, he's picked Clint's brain for a full staff roster, at the minimum, knows our basics. Assume that's a given. Know thy enemies... he's got that down.

So he knows who I am, knows what I do, knows I'm not stupid.

And if I'm not stupid, and I show up all by my little lonesome, he'll be on full alert. Fury wouldn't send an interrogator down alone... so what would make me show up for a little private time with the prisoner?

Obvious.

I'm a woman.

Emotional. Weak. Pathetic.

I'm a woman, and he's got someone close to me on his brainwashed buddy list. So it's natural for me to try to cut a deal... right? Amor vincit omnia... love conquers all.

But if I play it like that, he'll see right through me.

So… it's not love. Or make it look like I'm trying to hide it. Like I'm trying to keep that card out of his hands… because if he knows I love Clint, or thinks he knows it, he can use that as a chip.

Perfect.

_Poor little spy girl, longing for her lover… but too emotionally constipated to show it, or admit it, even to herself. What, oh what, will she do to get him free? _

Genius. That's someone he'll be drooling to manipulate. An easy mark.

So. I'm too damned smart to fall in love. I can pull that off.

Then what?

Then... wait.

Wait for him to let something slip. Give him the power, give him the motivation... and he'll give up the goods.

Worst comes to worst... give him a break in the facade.

Let him see that weakness. Or think he can. A crack in the wall.

He sees a crack, he'll want to poke a finger in it.

And when he pokes that finger... grab it.

Grab it and hold on.

Remember, Tasha... it's not just the world riding on this.

You've got a partner to save.

- FIN -


End file.
